Showing posts with label social studies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label social studies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label social studies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label social studies. Show all posts

Homeschool Curriculum Resources

Supplemental Resources for Educators


Thanks to Oriental Trading for these curriculum resources.

Whether you're a homeschool parent or a classroom teacher, these curriculum resources from Oriental Trading are a great way to supplement learning. From the hundreds of items in the Oriental Trading catalog, we chose these items to supplement our homeschool curriculum. If you're looking for supplemental homeschool curriculum resources, be sure to check them out.

This post contains affiliate links.

Homeschool Curriculum Resources
Airbrush Marker Set, Money and Time Flashcards, Fraction Spinners, Ruler Tape, and World Map.


Last year, both kids attended Indiana Connections Academy online. We started our homeschool journey with them and after a few years of homeschooling on our own, decided to enroll again. It allowed both kids to take assessment tests. We discovered they both had jumped another grade level. However, Mayhem had some math learning disabilities and special needs.


Supplemental Resources for Educators


Homeschool Curriculum Resources 


Connections Academy was great about testing her and getting her the help she needed, but this year we decided it would be better to once again go it on our own. This way, we can better address her mathematics learning gaps.

So, Jake will attend INCA as a 9th grader... Did you get that? He's officially in high school this year. Yikes! Mayhem is officially a 7th grader. By age, they should be in 5th and 7th. Which makes me skeptical about that assessed math disability.

There's certainly an issue, but she works very well at 4th & 5th grade level math. Her language arts assessment was college level and science and social studies were all above grade level, which is why they placed her in the 6th grade last year.

Homeschooling on our own allows us to tailor the curriculum to her specific grade level needs. We are using MobyMax to help with that. MobyMax finds and corrects learning gaps.


math game for multiplication and division
Tri-Facta math game for multiplication and division memory.


We ordered this educational math game, Tri-Facta, from OT. It's sort of like Scrabble for numbers. Even though Jake is a math whiz, he enjoyed the game.

It's a nice alternative to flashcards. We also got Time and Money flashcards, cool ruler tape, and fraction spinners. Everything You Need to Ace Math in one Big Fat Notebook is an awesome math book for reluctant mathematicians. It's written in note taking form and explains math concepts in a fun, easy to understand manner. Click here to find the resources at Oriental Trading.

If your kids like to color, this World Chart map (pictured below) is a great supplemental activity for geography and social studies. It comes with a booklet of facts. The idea is to find the fact's map location and then color it. We also got an airbrush set for future art lessons.


Social Studies Lesson: Color Chart the World Map.


Social Studies Resource from MindWare, Color Chart Map.


Just for fun, Teacher a.k.a. Mom, drug the kiddos out of bed for a 'I just woke up' shot to share on social media. Everyone always shares their back to school first day of school pictures and we didn't want to be left out.

For us, the first day of school means getting up a little earlier- okay, a lot earlier, but not as early as a traditional school day. No new haircuts, no new backpacks, no new shoes, no new school clothes. Just old pajamas. Well, really, old comfy clothes for sleeping. No matching necessary. We'll get dressed if we run out of food and need to make a trip to the grocery store. A trip to a fast food restaurant doesn't require getting dressed...






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Recommended:

Homeschool Lessons from Kids Creative Chaos

Indiana Field Trip Ideas

Homeschool Curriculum Resources on Amazon

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Abraham Lincoln and George Washington Compare and Contrast: President's Day Skit and Lesson

George Washington and Abraham Lincoln Stage Play for President's Day

Abraham Lincoln and George Washington were two of America's most beloved presidents. In this compare and contrast lesson for homeschoolers or school enrichment, we answer a popular question, were Washington and Lincoln friends? Find out by performing our stage play for classroom use. The free printable skit imagines what it would be like if they were beamed to a 21st century classroom. Scroll Down for our Presidents Day Classroom SkitEnjoy!


We've included some companion printables for a Presidents Day lesson on George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.



Right click and print Abraham Lincoln's Beard.

President's Day Printables
George Washington display printable from Mailbox Magazine.

We found this cute George Washington printable project display holder at Squish Preschool Ideas. I think all the details are at Scholastics.com: Abraham Lincoln Printable.

Though, it was designed to highlight a paper, I think it would make a good president paper bag puppet.


Teachers/Parents:

Download this printable Venn Diagram, and have the students fill it out prior to reading the stage play. As they read the play aloud, let them add details to their Venn Diagram. We've also linked to a fun printable that compares and contrasts facts about Washington and Lincoln.

Free Printables:

Abraham Lincoln and George Washington Venn Diagram Printable

Abraham Lincoln and George Washington Facts

PRESIDENT'S DAY SKIT

Free Printable President's Day Skit: Were George Washington and Abe Lincoln Friends?


Language Arts Component:

Another popular question... Who would win in a fight between George Washington and Abe Lincoln?

Easy. As a past military hero and soldier, George is the clear choice. Honest Abe wouldn't fight unless it was a battle of wits and then he has our vote, but both men were very intelligent in their own right. 

Grab a journal and write about who you think would win and list reasons why.



Recommended Reading:

Presidents Day Lesson

Jimmy Carter Facts

President Benjamin Harrison Activities

When is President's Day? Barack Obama Pattern

If I Were President

Presidents' Day (Rookie Read-About Holidays)

Bald Eagle Paper Bag Puppet Pattern

















ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)



Social Studies for Kids: Treaty of Paris Free Online Lesson for Homeschoolers

Free Online History Lesson for Homeschoolers: The Treaty of Paris

In this fun Social Studies Lesson for Kids, we delve into the 1783 Treaty of Paris. Like most of our free online lessons for homeschoolers, this lesson can be adapted for children from K-12. We always try to include something for all age groups. Teacher Resources, Curriculum, Free Printable PDFS, and Lesson Plans are included at the bottom of the page. Scroll Down to start the lesson.

Social Studies for Kids: Treaty of Paris Free Online Lesson for Homeschoolers
Social Studies for Kids: Treaty of Paris Free Online Lesson for Homeschoolers. Pictured from top left to right: King George III, George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and General Cornwallis.
We encourage you to use Google Docs for journaling. Our kids work in Google Docs and then share the their work with us. In Google Docs, we can chat, message, and edit at the same time. You can also make slide presentations and forms for free. It is a great way to collaborate or work remotely with others.

First, you will want to learn about the American Revolution. BrainPop Subscribers: What caused the American Revolution? American Revolution Review Quiz. No BrainPop? Click Here: Causes of the American Revolution for Children.

1783 Treaty of Paris recognizes the 13 colonies as free, sovereign, and independent states.

To get a quick overview of the history of The Treaty of Paris, watch this history rap video and then test your knowledge on the interactive american revolution timeline linked below.



Visit the Interactive Timeline for the American Revolution and put your knowledge to the test.

Spelling and Vocabulary Component

Terms to Know
Pick eight of the terms below. Define and describe what role they played leading up to or in the 1783 Treaty of Paris. Use your daily journal or a Google Doc.

Townsend Act
First Continental Congress
Revolutionary War 1775
Independence Day 1776
Writs of Assistance
Benedict Arnold
General Cornwallis
George Washington
West Indies
Frigate
Crispus Attucks
Paul Revere
Dicey Langston
French and Indian War
Stamp Act
Boston Massacre 1770
Boston Tea Party 1773
Tea Act 1773
Intolerable Acts
King George III
Coercive Acts 1774
James Otis
Sons of Liberty
Tarred and Feathered
Boycott
Daughters of Liberty

Summary of Liberty Kids Video on Treaty of Paris.








Review SchoolHouse Rock No More Kings from our history lesson on U.S. Capitals. When you click the link, you'll find many SchoolHouse Rock videos that tell the history prior to the Treaty of Paris.

Language Arts Component: Research and Writing Skills

From the vocabulary words to know, choose a famous person from the Revolution. Write a biography including details about the 1783 Treaty of Paris. How did this historical figure affect the Treaty? What role did they play? Do you think the Treaty would have happened without their input? Why or Why not?

Make a video or slideshow about this historical figure. Use this sample as a guide: The Treaty of Paris Video. Use your research paper to write the script for your video.

In Google Docs, start a rough draft for your research paper.

How do you research? What are the main things you need to do? Click here: What you need to know about How to Write a Research Paper. Read the "Research" text window. If you are a Brainpop subscriber, watch the video. Then fill in this Research Graphic Organizer (Save it to your computer). If not, try these outline tips.


Teacher Resources:

Liberty Kids Program Descriptions Printable PDF

Homeschool Lesson Plan for the American Revolution

9 Week Study on Treaty of Paris


Recommended Reading:

U.S. Currency Lesson Plans

Smart About the First Ladies: Smart About History*

Celebrating President's Day Book*

Benedict Arnold: American Hero and Traitor (Graphic Biographies)*

Napoleon: Emperor and Conqueror (Wicked History)*

George vs. George: The American Revolution As Seen from Both Sides*







ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)


Famous Explorers: Lewis and Clark Expedition Led by Sacajawea: Homeschool Social Studies Lesson

Lewis and Clark Expedition: Three Famous Explorers

Most people have heard of the famous explorers, Lewis and Clark. These men led an expedition to uncover the western part of the United States. Like earlier explorers, they befriended Native Americans. A young, Indian woman, named Sacajawea, joined them acting as a guide. 

Learn more with our online homeschool lesson on history. We find games and activities to make your online learning fun and free. Enjoy!

 *Social Studies: Grades 4-12, some sections are suitable for early elementary and preschool.

Famous Explorers: Lewis and Clark Expedition Led by Sacajawea: Homeschool Social Studies Lesson
Famous Explorers: Lewis and Clark Expedition Led by Sacajawea:
Homeschool Social Studies Lesson.


Teacher Resources:
Free Lewis and Clark Lesson Ideas or Teacher Lesson Plans from Brainpop.com

Make your Own Worksheets

A great video to watch as a family is National Geographic's Lewis and Clark, narrated by Jeff Bridges. We found it on Netflix. It runs approx. 45 min.
____________________________________________________


Student Lesson

History:

Let's get started with a Schoolhouse Rock Video on Westward Expansion. This video is from Schooltube.com, so you won't find inappropriate ads.
Schoolhouse Rock on SchoolTube: Westward Expansion
Schoolhouse Rock on SchoolTube: Westward Expansion.






For Brainpop Subscribers: 

We love Brainpop for the videos, quizzes, Q&A, and activity options. Each video comes with companion activities and free printables. (If you don't subscribe, you can choose the family option and pay monthly.)

Note: Sacajawea- nobody seems to know how to spell her name. You will see it spelled Sacagawea and Sacajawea. There is also a huge discrepancy in her date of death. 

Watch this video to learn more. When you click over, be sure to click the "x" in the upper right corner of the video to remove the ad.  Sacajawea Video Biography for 4th - 12th grade


Sacajawea Video Biography for 4th - 12th grade social studies lesson Sacagawea
Sacajawea biography on Teachertube.com.

Short Video on Sacajawea for Preschool from Nick Jr.


When do you think is the true death date of Sacajawea?
What makes you believe this theory? Answer in your daily journal.

 _____________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

Science Component:

What are the classifications? ____________________________

Geography:

Interactive Map of Lewis and Clark Expedition. This map shares excerpts from their journals during each section of the journey. Use the map to answer the questions below. Copy and paste this into a Google Doc to answer the questions.


In what state did the expedition begin?


1.___________________________________________________

In what state did the expedition end?


2.___________________________________________________

What does the heart on the map represent?


3.___________________________________________________

What travelling years are depicted on the map?


4.___________________________________________________

Name 3 Native Peoples they met on their journey.


5.___________________________________________________

Language Arts Component:



Use this FREE PRINTABLE CHARACTER MAP to compare Meriwether Lewis and Sacajawea. Note their similarities and differences.

Open up a Google Doc or grab your Daily Journal, and define these Vocabulary Words:

Sacajawea; Meriwether Clark; William Clark; expedition; Louisiana Purchase; corps; navigate; encounter; fort; translator; trek; accurate; species; point of view; perspective.

Read more about the Lewis and Clark Expedition as you research to write a bio paper on Lewis and Clark. 

Click each image in the article to learn more. This is a good resource for images to add to your paper. Just right click on the image, copy or save, and then insert or paste into your document. If you are writing in your daily journal, print the images and glue or staple them onto your paper. Be sure to give your paper a clear title. Early elementary students should write 3-4 paragraphs. Older elementary through high school need to write a minimum of 5 paragraphs.



Tips for writing your Lewis and Clark Research Paper:

For the introductory paragraph, start with an opening sentence, define what you will talk about with clear sentences. Use these sentences to write the main body of your paper. Talk about each sentence in detail using descriptive words. If you mention it in your introductory paragraph, be sure to go in depth in your middle paragraphs. Tell about important dates, places they explored, and troubles they faced on their journey. Finally, use the last paragraph (summary) to summarize what you've just talked about. Don't bring up anything new in the last paragraph - just tell us again briefly what you've already told us. You can even start with, "In summary". For example, In summary, I have described how to write a biography paper on Lewis and Clark. Lewis and Clark were famous United States explorers who travelled with an Indian guide named Sacajawea. Without the work of these, brave people, the West could have remained unknown.

Start with this Printable Cause and Effect Graphic Organizer

To continue your research check out the safe search for kidrex.org


Social Studies Just for Fun Online Games

Here is a fun game that will help you with facts on the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Lewis and Clark Game.

Have you completed our United State Capitals Lesson? This week we played a game to review what we've learned. Review the United States Capitals Game.


Recommended Reading:

Home School Activities

What Was the Lewis and Clark Expedition?*

How We Crossed The West: The Adventures Of Lewis And Clark*

Lewis and Clark: A Prairie Dog for the President (Step into Reading, Step 3)*

The Story of Sacajawea (Dover History Coloring Book)*



*These are the weekly lessons I do with my children. We supplement these activities with reading a book of your choice for 30 minutes each day (bedtime counts), Khan Academy and Time4Learning Math Lessons, and taking a break every 30 minutes for exercise time (we run up and down the stairs, walk around our yard, ride bicycles, or jump on an indoor trampoline).




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Copyright 2014 by Lora Langston, Kids Creative Chaos.











ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)


Elementary Social Studies Lesson on Fair Trade: Homeschooling Online

Fair Trade Chocolate Homeschool Lesson Online

Fair Trade Chocolate Homeschool Lesson Online
Fair Trade Chocolate Homeschool Lesson Online.
Think Fair Trade doesn't matter to you? You've heard something about Fairtrade Coffee, but you don't drink coffee so who cares- right? Wrong! I'm guessing you eat chocolate or know someone who does. Do you know who picked your chocolate? What is fair trade anyway? In this interactive online homeschool lesson, you'll learn all about fair trade practices and why you should buy fair trade whenever possible.

Suggested for Elementary Social Studies: Grades 3-6


Fair Trade Cocoa Unit



Teacher Resources:
Cocoa Curriculum and Lesson Plans from Global Exchange


Student Lesson:




What is Fair Trade? - Read this Free Printable PDF from BrainPop to find out.

Another example on What is Fair Trade from Funkidslive.com


Grab your daily journal (or a Google Doc.) and explain Fair Trade in your own words.


Read more with Ranger Rick: Comic on Cacao Trees in Ghana.




Name 3 Countries that benefit from Fair Trade practices.


1.___________________________________________________


2.___________________________________________________


3.___________________________________________________


Mathematics Component




Cool Bug Free Math Game on Probability from Brock University.



Language Arts Component


Imagine you were a child in Ghana working in the Cocoa Industry. Describe a typical day of work. Use the information above to help with your paper. Do a safe search with Kidrex.org to research more about fair trade. Make sure your paper has a beginning (intro), middle (main body), and end (summary). We like to say, tell me what you are going to tell me, tell me, and tell me again! Open a Google Doc. or write in your daily journal.



Science Component


Yummy CHOCOLATE SCIENCE EXPERIMENT from Factmonster.com



Social Studies Just for Fun Online Games


For BrainPop subscribers, try this Game about Supply and Demand.


Make a difference play this fun Fair Trade Chocolate Game and help spread the word.

Recommended Reading:

Math with M and M's Chocolate

The Chocolate Touch

Fair Trade: A Beginner's Guide



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Copyright 2014 by Lora Langston, Kids Creative Chaos.

Country Study Lesson for Homeschool or Teacher Curriculm: China

Teach about the Country of China in Non-Traditional Ways with your Homeschool Lessons

The world is always changing, but history is always history. For a recent history lesson or social studies or geography or art (we're homeschool, so we can call it all 4) we designed this lesson plan to teach about the country of China. We are very random in our curriculum planning and school in a fun, relaxed Montessori-style. Enjoy!

Culture: First, we ate a local Chinese restaurant where we saw some very inspiring pieces of wall art including these pandas and a Chinese Dragon.

We had to make one! There's your Art Lesson. Email lora@theplayconnection.com for free printable panda templates.

Chinese Wall Art with Pandas.



The pandas were a big hit! We bought all of our supplies at Dollar Tree. A beige placemat makes two backdrops when cut in half lengthwise. Just add felt and a twig to complete the look. See our template to trace and copy your panda and leaf shapes. I love how awesome our panda wall hanging turned out; it is giftable :)

You might also like: What Year is it for Chinese New Year?

You can also purchase our Panda Wall Art Kit for $2.50 plus postage and handling. The kit comes with felt, placemat, cardboard, and traceable templates. Want one? Drop a note to lora@theplayconnection.com we bill through Paypal only.


Then, we researched the Chinese flag and made our own out of construction paper. What does the Chinese flag look like? The Chinese flag is red with 5 yellow stars. Red is for the Communist Revolution and the yellow stars represent the unity of the Chinese people as a communist nation.

What does the Chinese flag look like? Chinese flag: The People's Republic of China
Chinese flag: The People's Republic of China.
Construction Paper Flag for China:  Country Lesson
Mayhem's interpretation of the Chinese flag with construction paper.

We searched Netflix to find some videos to use for our homeschool lesson. We found documentaries, but there are some cartoons for younger kids too.

Netflix Companion Movies


Feeding Time This Animal Planet video is for everyone. Cute animals eating their favorite foods in zoos. The Panda is adorable.

China's Terracotta Warriors This Secret's of the Dead episode focuses on Chinese history. We liked it because you can visit the Indianapolis Children's Museum (field trip) and see warrior statues exactly like these.

These Terracotta guys are coming to the Indianapolis Children's Museum in 2014. It is the only U.S. appearance, so plan your trip starting May 10.
Also find Wild China on Netflix. It is educational and beautiful, but it did not keep my kids' attention.

An Idiot Abroad Okay, this one isn't for everyone, it is rated TV 14, but we got a kick out of the visit to China, and it was actually educational. We learned a lot about Chinese culture. Definitely not for the classroom, I guess. Idiot isn't very politically correct, but the one episode I watched was just silly.

At the end of the day, my kids like to write a report. Yes, I'm for real... almost. They don't like to WRITE it, but they love to type it in a Google Doc and share it with me to show me what they learned or tell me about their favorite daily activity with an oral report. They are very competitive and rush to be the first to Google a fact about the topic. Then, they add images they find online as well. So, they aren't just getting a history, social studies, geography, and art lesson, they also practice language art skills, typing, and educational technology.

We also like to add a word of the day for each country we study. Learn the proper pronunciation, write it out, and share the meaning.

Recommended Reading:

Country Study Homeschool Lesson on Afghanistan

Grandma Panda's China Storybook: Legends, Traditions and Fun

Children Around the World

Flags of the World